Apparatus for stripping hides from conveyors



R. E. QUINN 3,073,430 APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING HIDES FROM CONVEYORS Jan. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1960 R. E. QUINN Jan. 15, 1963 APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING HIDES FROM CONVEYORS Filed July 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent" ffice 3,073,430 APPARATUS FOR STRIPPIN G HIDES FROM CONVEYORS Richard E. Quinn, 19 Howley St., Peabody, Mass.

Filed July 25, 1960, Ser. No. 44,907

9 Claims. (Cl. 198-28) The present invention relates to apparatus for use in stripping articles, such as hides, from a conveyorand to the finger units used therein. e I

While the invention is adapted for other uses, it is herein discussed primarily in connection with the stripping of wet hides from a first conveyor as an essential part of their transfer to a second conveyor which is to carry them to a drier. As the wet hides tend to cling to the first conveyor, it is the usual practice to employ a transversely disposed series of stripping fingers. These are arranged'and disposed to ride on the outfeed end of the first conveyor and under the leading edge of a hide "carried thereon to force it over them until it becomes in contact with and picked to be pulled by the infeed end of a transfer conveyor which is forwardly and rearwardly inclined to deliver that hide to the second conveyor.

From time-to-tirne, the fingers or some of them become caught by a hide that refuses to be properly stripped. When that happens, the pull of the travelling hide usually causes the fingers to dig into the belt of the first conveyor, often necessitating its replacement with a consequential interruption in production and in addition to the cost of the new belt. 7

The principal objective of the present invention is to provide stripping apparatus that is operative to strip hides efficiently from a first conveyor and provided with finger units that jack-knife, when caughtby' a clinging hide, out of contact 'with theoutfeed end of the belt of the first conveyor thus to avoid injury thereto. y

In accordance with the invention, the finger units each have a base, a counterweighted arm pivoted thereto, and

a fingervpivoted at its rear end to the front end of the arm and provided with a belt contacting stripper head.

Such units, when in use, have the pivots between their arms and fingers located outside a plane inclusive of the zone of contactof the heads with the conveyor belt and the pivots between the arms and their bases.

When positioned for use, the stripper heads engage the conveyor belt in a zone where it is passing downwardly and rearwardly over the roll at the outfeed end of the first conveyor. Should they become caught by a clinging hide, they jack-knife until the fingers are free to drop by that end of the conveyor. In order that such a position may be accurately established, a mount is provided, which -may conveniently constitute the support for the bearing units of the transfer conveyor and which is adjustable vertically relative to the outfeed end of the first conveyor andwhichprovides for, adjustments of the finger units relative to that conveyor in horizontal directions.

trative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of, its objectives, novel features, and advan- V In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illus- FIG. 3 is a section, on a substantially increased 'scale,;

FIG. 1, showing a. finger in its transfer position;

FIG. 4 is a similar view illustrating the yielding or jack- 'taken approximately along the indicated lines 3-3 of v FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a finger unit, on a furtherincrease or scale, with its finger folded rearwardly, and

FIG. 6 is a front viewthe'reof. ,V .In the embodiment of the invention illustrated bythe drawings, a conveyor generally indicated. at'10 is provided to carry hides through a station, not shown, where they are treated as with a liquid. After such treatment, the hides are carried bya generallyindicated conveyor 11, located below the outfeed end of .the conveyor 10, to a drier, not shown. The hides are transferred from the conveyor 11 by a downwardly inclined transfer conveyor, generally indicated at 12.

The-conveyor 10. is shown as comprising a belt 13 trained over rolls, such as the roll 14 at its outfeed end, and whose shaft 15 is' journalled in bearing'units 16 mounted on a table 17 adjacent one end thereof. The conveyor 11 may be similar and is shown as a belt 18 trained over rolls such as the roll 19 at its infeedend which has its shaft 20 journalled in bearing units 21 located on the end ofatable 22 that is near the table 17. The table 22 is somewhat lower than the table 17 and it hasa support 23 extending transversely of the belt 18 side members 29. The side members 29 are provided with hearing units 30 for the ends of'the shaft 28 adjacent which each has ,a bracket 31 through which is threaded a set screw 32 for engagement with a metal plate .33 which is located on the exposed ends of: the

support 23.- Each set screw 32 has .a' lock nut 34.

The ends of theshaft 27 are supported byybearing units 35 carried by a generally indicated mount: 36. The

mount 36, as may best be seen inZFIGS. 3 and 4, comprises sides 37 each having a. longitudinally spacedpair ofvertically disposed slots 38'through which extend studs 39 carried by brackets 40 secured to the. bearing units 16, thus to enable the mount 36 to beadjusted vertically relative to the conveyor 10.v The sides 37 have transversely alined, horizontal slots through each of which extends a pair of studs 42 carried by slides 43 to which the bearing units 35 are attached and which are inter.-

connected by a transverse member 44 located forwardly of the bearing units 35. By this arrangement, the .infeed end of the conveyor 12 may be spaced closer to or further from the outfeed end of the conveyor 10. if I Bolted to the transverse'member 44, in laterally. spaced relationship, are the bases 45 of the generally indicated finger units 46. Each base 45 hasside walls 47 spaced to receive between them an arm 48 connected thereto by pivots 49. The rear part 50 of each arm 48 is a counterweight and projects laterally to provide shoulders 51f0r engagement with the upwardly and forwardly'inclined rear faces 52 of the walls 47. I The forward part of each arm 48'is vertically slotted and a stripper head 58 engageablewith the belt 13..

Itwill be noted that the pivots 57 are below a plane inclusive of the pivots 49 and the line of engagement of the stripper heads 58 with the belt 13 so that. the arms and fingers will jack-knife on a downward andrearward thrust and that the mount 36 is adjusted relative to the roll 14 and the'transverse'member 44 is adjusted relative to the sides 37.so that the stripping heads 58 engage the belt 13 in a transverse zone wherein short, rearward movement of the pivotsj57 ,will enable each finger to swing a 3,073,430 Patented J an. 15, 1963 downwardly past the belt 13 without injury thereto. It will also be noted that each finger can swing rearwardly over its base 45 with its head 58 so disposed that a hide passing over it wilLnot catchthereon.

I.claim:

1. A unit for use in stripping hides. from the outfeed end of a conveyor, said unit. including a. base, an arm transversely pivoted between its ends to said base, the rear end of said arm being counterweighted, afinger. pivoted to the front end of said armand including a stripper head for engagementwith, said outfeed conveyor end whereby the finger, and arm can jack-knife when said head engages said conveyor end in the zone of downward and rearward travel and the pivot between the. arm and finger is vertically spaced from a plane inclusive of said zone and the pivot between the arm and its base.

2. A unit for use in stripping hides from theoutfeed end, of a conveyor, said unit including a base, an arm transverselypivoted between its ends to said base, the rear end of said arm being cou'nterweighted, a finger pivoted to the front end ofsaid arm andincluding a stripper head for engagement with said outfeed conveyor end in the zone of downward and rearward travel with said arm and finger being in a first position relative to each other, the pivot between the arm and finger being spaced vertically from a plane inclusive of the head and the pivot between the arm and its base in said first position.

3. A unit for use in stripping hidesfrom. the outfeed end of a conveyor, said unit including a base, an arm, the proximate ends of said arm and. base being. downturned and transversely pivoted, the rear end ofsaid. arm being counterweighted,. a finger pivoted, to the front end of said arm and including a stripper head for engagement with said outfeed conveyor end in the zone of downward and rearward travel, with said arm, and finger being in a first positionrelative to each other, the pivotally interconnected ends of said arm and finger being below a plane inclusive of the head and the pivot between the arm and its basein said first position.

4. A unit for use in stripping hides from the. outfeed end of a conveyor, said unit including a, base, an arm transversely pivoted between its ends to said base, the rear end of said arm beingcounterweighted and includinga portion engageable with said base to hold said arm in a predetermined position, a finger pivoted to the front end of said-arm andincluding a stripper head for engagement with said outfeed conveyor end in the zone of downward and rearward travel, with said arm and finger being in a first position relative to each other,,the pivot between the arm and finger being spaced vertically from a plane inclusive of the head and the pivot between the arm and its base in said first position.

5. A unit for use in stripping hides from the outfeed end of a conveyor, said unit including a base having spaced sides, an arm between said sides and transversely pivoted between its ends thereto, the rear end of said arm being counterweighted and the front end thereof being vertically slotted; a finger whose rear end is entrant of saidslot and pivoted'to the front end ofsaid arm and whose front end includes-a stripper head for engagement withsaid outfeed conveyor endin the zone of downward and rearward travel with said arm and finger being in a first position relative to each other, the pivot between the arm and finger being spaced vertically from a plane inclusive of the head and the pivot between the arm and its base in said first position.

6. In apparatus for stripping hides from the outfeed end of a conveyor, a member extending transversely of the direction of conveyor travel but spaced rearwardly from the outfeed end of said conveyor, and a series of transversely spaced finger units, each unit including a base attached to said member, an arm extending towards said conveyor end and pivoted between its ends to said base transversely of the direction of conveyor travel, the rear end of said arm being counterweighted, and yieldably holding said arm in a predetermined position, a finger pivoted to the front end of said arm and including a stripper head for engagement with said outfeed conveyor end in the zone of its downward and rearward travel, the pivots between the arms and fingers being spaced vertically from a. plane inclusive of the zone of engagement of the heads with the conveyor and the pivots between the arms and their bases whereby, on a rearward and downward thrust on the fingers, said finger and arms can jack-knife to enable said fingers to swing downwardly and out of contact with said, outfeed end.

7. In apparatus for stripping hides from the outfeed end of a conveyor, a member extending transversely of the direction of conveyor travel but spaced rearwardly from the outfeed end of said conveyor, and a series of transversely spaced finger units, each unit including a base attached to said member, an arm extending towards said conveyor end and pivoted'between its ends to said base transversely of the direction of conveyor travel, the rear end of said arm being counterweighted and, yieldably holding said arm in a predetermined position, a finger piv oted to the front end of said arm and including a stripper head for engagement with said outfeed conveyor end in the zone of its downward and rearward travel, the. pivots between the arms and fingers being below a plane inclusive of the zone of engagement of the heads with the conveyor and the pivots between the arms and their bases whereby, on a rearward and downward thrust on the fingers, said, finger and arms can jack-knife to enable said fingers to swing downwardly and out of contact with said outfeed end.

8. Inapparatus for stripping hides from the outfeed end of a conveyor, a second conveyor, a mount for positioning the infeed end of said second conveyor in a selected position relative to said outfeed end, said mount including a member extending transversely of the direction of conveyor travel but spaced rearwardly from said outfeed end and adjusted lengthwise of said mount, and a series of units, each unit including a base attached, to said member, an arm extending towards said conveyor end and pivoted between its ends to said base transversely of the direction of conveyor travel, the rear end of said arm being counterweighted, a finger pivoted to the front end of said arm and including a stripper head for engagement with said outfeed conveyor endin the zone of downward and rearward travel, the pivot between the arms and fingers being below a plane inclusive of the zone of engagement of the heads with the conveyor and the pivots between the arms and the bases whereby the arms and fingers of the units can jack-knife to permit the fingers to swing down past said conveyor end.

9. In apparatus for stripping hides from the outfeed end of a conveyor, a: second conveyor, a vertically adjustable. mount for positioning the infeed end of said conveyor in. a selected position, relative to said, outfeed end, said mount including a member extending transversely of the direction of conveyor travel but spaced rearwardly from said outfeed end and adjustable lengthwise of said mount, and a series of units, each unit including a base attached to said member, an arm extending towards said conveyor end and pivoted between its ends to said base transversely of the direction of conveyor travel,

7 the rear end of said arm being counterweighted, a finger References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,279,563 Lowell Sept. 24, 1918 iii 

6. IN APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING HIDES FROM THE OUTFEED END OF A CONVEYOR, A MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION OF CONVEYOR TRAVEL BUT SPACED REARWARDLY FROM THE OUTFEED END OF SAID CONVEYOR, AND A SERIES OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED FINGER UNITS, EACH UNIT INCLUDING A BASE ATTACHED TO SAID MEMBER, AN ARM EXTENDING TOWARDS SAID CONVEYOR END AND PIVOTED BETWEEN ITS ENDS TO SAID BASE TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION OF CONVEYOR TRAVEL, THE REAR END OF SAID ARM BEING COUNTERWEIGHTED AND YIELDABLY HOLDING SAID ARM IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION, A FINGER PIVOTED TO THE FRONT END OF SAID ARM AND INCLUDING A 